(GB) During the DTM race weekend, the inauguration of a memorial plate on the exact place of Pedro Rodríguez' fatal accident, was organized by the Scuderia Rodríguez A.C. Mexico, in cooperation with the authorities of the city of Nürnberg. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Gernot Leistner of the Motorsport Club Nürnberg, track marshals and Scuderia members witnessed the ceremony.

(GB) To celebrate the Rodríguez brothers and their careers, Carlos Jalife, Secretary General of the Scuderia Hermanos Rodríguez A.C., México, and one of America's top experts has written a fully researched biography in one volume in Spanish. This book is 592 pages long, in a 33x22 cms. format and has more than 3000 photographs from different sources, including the family archives, most never seen before.

It is divided in 20 chapters, and has introductions by Jo Ramírez, the famous Mclaren team coordinator who started his career alongside Ricardo in 1962 in Ferrari and later served with Pedro in the Wyer-Gulf-Porsche team in 1971; and Adrián Fernández, Mexico´s biggest racing star in the last decade, with wins in CART and Grand Am series.

It will be published in English in 2007.

History / Storia

(GB) Sunday, July 11th 1971, Norisring 200 Miles Interseries race. 35 years ago, the 31 year old Mexican driver had just been crowned as World Sportscar Champion for a second consecutive year, was offered to race a Ferrari 512M belonging to Herbert Müller Racing. He accepted and raced against a field with famous names like Jo Bonnier, Chris Craft, Peter Gethin, Leo Kinnunen and Müller. At the start, Pedro immediately took the lead and by lap 5 he was already passing backmarkers. After 11 laps, only Leo kept in touch as he passed Kurt Hild on the approach to the 'S'. Suddenly, at 220 kph a front wheel collapsed, the 512M ran wild, crashed against the bridge, pirouetted and came to rest at the other side of the track against the guard rail, where it caught fire. Rescuers took two minutes to free him, but the Mexican driver had a fractured skull and severe burns; it was too late. He died the way he lived, a leader until the last minute of his life.